Through the lens: Photo Show reflections

By Barbara Lynch Hill

Thursday, September 26, 2013

“It’s wonderful!. So creative and beautiful. Not the same old tourist pictures, but gorgeous pieces in different subjects and sizes. You’re going to get a lot of attention on this one!” So said retired teacher Fran Townsend after viewing the Juried Fine Art Photography Show at the opening reception at Town Hall last week. Put on by the non-profit Cultural Arts Alliance of Greater Summerville, the show will hang until January 10.Technique and texture as well as color, black and white and photos on material are among the many aspects of this show cited for glowing comments. The subjects include a caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly study; a ridged green leaf sparkling with water droplets; a poignant shot of the homeless, and many unique sto;;ofe shots. Meg Skow, alliance member, and one of the guiding lights of these shows says the judges awarded ribbons to the winners and the Alliance accepted as many entries as possible. This exhibit, with 54 pieces hanging, is one of the largest ever mounted and just about fills the walls of the public areas on all three floors. “The variety is amazing and includes a lot of different processes,” she said Barbara Adside, an art student at Rollings Middle School of the Arts, said one of her favorites, and one showing real contrast, illustrates mountains crowned by blue skies, reflected in blue water and surrounded by snow. Frankie Harbuck, a visitor from Lexington loved the photography on canvas. Janet Eadie, an oil painter, thought the pictures absolutely beautiful and liked the birds best. Geoff Litz, who recently relocated here from Pennsylvania to live his dream by starting his own photography business, won an Honorable Mention with his bird study. “I was out at Francis Beidler Forest taking pictures and I had already taken three shots of a heron and was about to take the fourth when this dragonfly just dropped in,” he told me. Sometimes photo opportunities just happen, but it takes a photographer with the real “eye” to take advantage of that opportunity and know just when and how to get the shot, said Dennis Donovan, a local framer, who liked the wildlife best. Sometimes it’s curiosity combined with technique that’s successful. Sandy Dumas, who won first prize for her entry, said her photo is of a building that had arches on the bottom and the top floors. She got what she called the “bright idea” to take 24 copies of the same photo, cut them in a diagonal right down the line of the arches and then took 12 of the prints and put them together with the points going in and the other 12 with the points going out. Another of her photos illustrates the totemic – totem pole – technique starring a barred owl. She used eight of the same picture, and placed them in a slightly uneven double vertical line, like they are all sitting on the same tree trunk. Congratulations to all the winners and entrants whose work helps focus on the remarkable talent we have in Summerville. Winners are:1st place: Sandy Dumas, Passau Passages #2; 2nd place: Rich Lightfoot, Open Window; 3rd place: Robert Paterson, Polychrome Pass.Honorable Mention goes to Penny Cocking, Front Porch; Mark Melcher, Reflections; Geoffrey Litz, Heron and "Friend;" John Oman, Warehouse Door; Gayle Sauer, Blue Magic; and Meg Skow, French Food.

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